Paraguayan lawmaker’s ‘racist’ Mbappe remarks ‘despicable’ - UN
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- The UN Human Rights Office called remarks by a Paraguayan lawmaker about Kylian Mbappe "despicable" and racist.
- The UN stated that such incidents reflect a broader issue of racism in sports.
- The comments were made in relation to the 2026 World Cup.
The United Nations has condemned "racist and dehumanizing" remarks made by a Paraguayan lawmaker targeting French football star Kylian Mbappe. A spokesperson for the UN human rights office described the comments as "despicable" and highlighted that they are unfortunately not isolated incidents.
"Reports of racist incidents during the FIFA World Cup 2026 reflect a wider phenomenon across football and sports more broadly," stated Thameen Al-Kheetan, the UN human rights office spokesman. The statement underscores a growing concern within international bodies about the persistence of racism in the global sports arena.
While the specific context of the Paraguayan lawmaker's remarks was not detailed, the UN's strong condemnation links them to a pattern of prejudice observed in football and other sports. The organization's statement serves as a call to address these issues more comprehensively, emphasizing that discriminatory behavior has no place in sports or society.
Reports of racist incidents during the FIFA World Cup 2026 reflect a wider phenomenon across football and sports more broadly.
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Originally published by Vanguard. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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